Process of a Tangihanga

A tangihanga is like a funeral of saying goodbye to loved ones. This tangi has many processes and protocols that need to be followed to therefore complete the ceremony and release and say goodbye to your loved ones. although many tangihangas are similar each iwi has there own different variation on how they celebrate this process.

My Personal experience

My first experience of a Maori tangi was when my uncle died earlier this year it was a very sad moment when we found out about his passing and although it was a very mournful time it was good to be able to spend it with the family and experience the process of a tangihanga. During this time We experienced a Whakangahau , a Poroporoaki, the Burial process and the hakari or celebration after all of which I will explain the process on further on in the passage.

Po Whakangahau

A couple days after the person has died they will be returned to the family or marae where they will lay in an open casket for a couple days before the tangihanga ceremony. During the time that they lay their, there must always be a person laying or sitting either side of the casket to protect them. As they lie in the casket this is the time for the family members or friends or the deceased to come and say goodbye to the person or show penance to the family.

Poroporoaki

The night before the tangihanga the family and friends all gather in the wharenui or marae where they all talk and share stories about there experiences with the deceased. This is a time of mourning and happiness as people perform, sing, tell jokes, to try and cheer up and help farewell the deceased.

Ceremony or Tangihanga
The Ceremony or Tangihanga is the final farewell to the deceased when the priest comes onto the marae or wharenui to perform a service where they sing waiatas and himenes. The body is then taken onto a cemetery where for burial. The custom after this process is to wash your hands with water to remove the tapu when exiting the cemetery. The priest also needs to remove the tapu from the wharenui or marae and this is done by the priest walking through this area chanting karakia.

Hakari
The Hakari is like the celebration after the formal farewell of the deceased this is where all the friends and family come together to have a feast and celebration where everyone can have fun and try to forget the mournful periods that have been before them.